


Life As It Is

by romymars (purple_pyro)



Category: Durarara!!
Genre: F/M, M/M, Multi, debt collector trio, drrr rarepair month, please watch baccano, why isnt there a tag for, yet? geeeez
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-17
Updated: 2016-08-10
Packaged: 2018-07-15 13:26:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,687
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7224178
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/purple_pyro/pseuds/romymars
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>None of them are used to this at all, but life as it is right now just might be okay.<br/>--<br/>Some fluffy snippets of the debt collector trio for drrr rarepair month. Honestly these three are so pure and i am offended by the lack of content for them so here's my contribution. I'm really not good at romantic stuff though so I'm sorry if this is totally cheesy and clichéd.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Movie Night

Tom's apartment wasn't particularly large, though the only thing that really mattered was that the couch could fit three. Crouched on the left side, Shizuo watched Vorona fiddle with the DVD player as Tom returned with popcorn. The television flickered on with a little static, and Vorona hit a few buttons on the small remote until the DVD loading screen came onto display with a hum. She sped through the trailers impatiently, returning to her seat at Tom's right when the main menu finally popped up.

"Romance of the Flying Pussyfoot, eh?" Tom remarked with a glance to Shizuo, who ducked his head in mild embarrassment.

"Winner of multiple cinematic awards, though many critics attribute its success to the highly popular lead actor and advanced special effects," Vorona recited simply, plucking a few pieces of popcorn from the bowl in Tom's lap. "A satisfactory choice for a... 'movie night.'"

"Yeah. It'll be good," Shizuo nodded with a small smile before grabbing a handful of kernels himself. The movie was based off some true story from America, with the first scene taking place in a Chicago railroad station. Kasuka's first scene wasn't until later in the movie, so the blond ended up watching his partners' facial expressions more than the screen for the earlier parts of the film. Tom had already seen the movie before and smiled at the familiar scenes while Vorona was deeply attentive. Probably analyzing the camera angles and all that other cinematography junk, Shizuo figured.

"I'm still not totally convinced that Jacuzzi is a real name. Y'think they changed it to sound more exotic?" Tom asked offhandedly, watching as one of the heroes charged for the conductor's booth. Shizuo shrugged, looking to Vorona and wondering if she knew.

"...Subject unfamiliar."

"Oh. Well, I guess it works. Wait, this part's good," Tom grabbed a handful of popcorn in anticipation, right before the terrorists burst into the dining room. One character slipped out a window, while another man raised a gun to fire back and two children snuck under the tables. The whole situation seemed unbelievable, but Shizuo guessed that it must've been true if Nebula had tried to keep the film from being produced. He always felt sorta bad for the kids onboard, running into killers while the girl's mother was held hostage. 

_'Guys... there's blood everywhere... What do we do, Nice?'_

_'I don't know. That story from earlier, do you think it might've been true?'_

_'You mean... the Rail Tracer?!'_

Cut to the conductor's booth, where a barely recognizable Yuuhei Hanejima was smothered in fake blood. It was a gruesome sight that didn't fit Kasuka's calm and caring disposition, but if he was okay doing the part, then maybe it was alright. Tom still cringed though, and Vorona's eyes widened. It was the dramatic birth of the monster that would terrorize the train until daybreak.

The trio watched the movie in silence, Vorona smiling slightly as she leaned on Tom's shoulder. He set the emptied bowl of popcorn on the coffee table and pulled Shizuo in closer until they were all slumped over each other by the end of the movie. Tom shut the television off before leaning back, resigning himself to sleeping in a pile on the couch for the night.

"So what'd you think, Vorona? Did you like it?" Shizuo asked before yawning.

"It was enjoyable. The topic of the Rail Tracer is deserving of further study."

"Well, I don't know if there are any books on it, but I guess he's pretty cool, only going after the bad guys."

"You guys are nuts," Tom interjected, though there was no malice in his words. "I mean, even if it was sorta justified, the whole train track thing was overkill."

"I guess so. Well, goodnight Tom. Goodnight Vorona."

Shizuo woke up the next morning to the smell of bacon and the soft sound of Vorona humming the movie's main theme.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The movie is a Baccano! reference of course, though its a canon thing in naritaverse! Thats why there's posters for it in the backgrounds of the anime.


	2. Quiz Show

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> this is so cheezy im sorry, why do i do this. still, an idea i've had for a while and now it's on paper so hopefully I'll stop thinking about it

"How big is the world's largest diamond?"

"Found rough at 3106.75 carats, later cut into 105 smaller diamonds."  


"Wait, how many grams is that?"

"621.35."

"Wow. Uh, what's the capital of Kazakhstan?"

"Astana."

"How long is the Suez canal?"

"193.3 kilometers."

"Who was emperor in the year 354?"

"Japanese Emperor Nintoku. Given name, Oho Sazaki no Mikoto. Reigning 313 to 399 A.D."

"How was ice cream invented?"

"Earliest recordings of ice-based delicacies. Roman emperor Nero ordering ice topped with fruit. Equally notable, Chinese King Tang of Shang, recipe for dessert involving flour, camphor, buffalo milk, ice."

"What are crayons made of?"

"Sole ingredient. Paraffin wax. Pigments mixed and added to melted wax to produce color."

"Who's the... secretary for the Prime Minister of Canada?"

"Many positions filed under name 'secretary.' Requesting specific title."

"Uh, all of them?"

"Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister: Paul DeVillers. Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister with special emphasis on Aboriginal Affairs: Andrew Telegdi. Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister with special emphasis on Canada-U.S.: Scott Brison. Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister with special emphasis on Cities-"

"Okay, okay, you've got it. You're good."

"Name all the rivers in... Brazil."

"Many. Navigable by ocean-going ships, Amazon, Tocantins, Rio de la Plata, São Francisco."

"Rivers in Europe?"

"Many. Most notable, Danube, Elbe, Loire, Rhine, Volga."

Shizuo took a deep breath, tilting his head back and trying to come up with another question. Tom, Vorona, and he were on standby in the office until the secretary confirmed the address of their next client, though it had been ten minutes with no response. Vorona had picked up a phonebook as reading material, though once she began reciting restaurant addresses as lunch suggestions, Tom decided to quiz her. Her answers were both immediate and spot-on, and even when the topic strayed and Shizuo joined in, Vorona always finished speaking before either man could think of another question.

Tom sighed. "Yeah, it's official. You're the smartest person in this city. Maybe the entire country."

Vorona folded her hands atop the phonebook, which laid shut in her lap. "Negative. The knowledge of mere facts does not equate to overall intelligence."

Shizuo frowned in disagreement, though Tom waved off the comment. "Well, even if that's the case, you're really incredible, Vorona. I don't even need to double check to know that was all correct."

"Yeah, I'm surprised there's anything you _don't_ know," Shizuo chimed in. 

Vorona just shook her head, somewhat somber. "To understand everything, impossible. Many unknown phenomena requiring further study."

"Well, I suppose," Shizuo admitted, frowning again. "But I can't think of any question that you would answer wrong is what I meant."

Tom tilted his head in thought before brightening. "Actually... I think I've got one. Ready, Vorona?"

The Russian seemed startled at the sudden exclamation but responded "affirmative" in her usual steady voice. However, her calm face slipped again when Tom proudly announced his question.

"Who's the most intelligent, beautiful, strongest girl in Japan?" 

Vorona paused, hesitating before quietly asking "Question. To what standards are "beautiful" and "intelligent" being defined? Terms subjective to bias."

Shizuo just laughed. "A question that finally stumps you? I think I've got the answer though." Vorona turned to him in confusion, his fond smile matched Tom's. Suddenly, the two men dove in to kiss her cheeks, one on each side, pulling away with satisfied grins. Vorona immediately clamped her hands over the sides of her face, trying to hide the blush coming over her face rapidly. Her embarrassment was still obvious as she turned to face Tom.

"The desired answer. I am to volunteer myself."

"Yep. I knew you were smart."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> somebody: *hates on Vorona*  
> me: do you also hate puppies and ice cream and all other joys in life too


	3. Touch Ups

The three of them sat circled around Shizuo's bathtub, Vorona working the blond dye through Shizuo's hair as Tom looked through the instructions for the twelfth time. After Shizuo's usual salon was shut down two months ago- or was it three months? something about rats- Tom and Vorona had volunteered an hour of their Sunday to help him with his roots. No matter how much he appreciated the help, Shizuo still felt slightly guilty asking them to sacrifice their weekends for it, but both of them had showed up without complaint, a bag of supplies in the crook of Vorona's elbow and a portable fan to make sure they didn't choke on the fumes.

"So then Shizuo took the water pipes off the roof, and you can guess how things went from there." Tom laughed at Shizuo's bashful expression as he recounted their first meeting. "Cliché as it is, the guys didn't bother me again after that, and the next time I saw Shizuo, his hair was blonde."

"Well, you've always had good advice. Uh, how much longer, Vorona?" Shizuo asked, toying with the frayed strings of the towel wrapped around his neck.

"One section remaining," she responded, pausing to adjust her rubber gloves. "Recommending preparations for next step. Will require use of faucet."

Tom stood up from his seat on the rim of the bathtub and stretched, careful not to hit anybody in the cramped room. "Sounds good, I'm just about out of stories to tell anyway. I didn't know dyeing your hair took so many pairs of hands."

"Kasuka used to help me a lot with it, though I'm thankful my parents gave me permission in the first place," Shizuo replied, leaning into Vorona's touch as her fingers combed through his hair. "I really thought they were going to say no."

"Yeah? Blond suits you, its unique."

Shizuo gave a small nod, hoping he hadn't just thrown off Vorona's work. "I guess the three of us do stand out a little. But that's a good thing, right?"

Tom just smiled in agreement. He'd received sideways looks multiple times for his black heritage, and many a client had mocked Vorona's accent to her face, but what other people thought had long become irrelevant. Tom knew very well of both Shizuo's and Vorona's many insecurities, and maybe there were things he would change about himself if he could, but the three of them already fit together perfectly as they were. And there was really no reason to change that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> real short, I know. longer one is coming, I just wanted to get an update for this out there.


End file.
